


Always there

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Lost in Space: Netflix Original Series, Lost in Space: The Classic Series
Genre: All at the same time, Canon Compliant, Character Death, Comfort, Gen, It'll make sense as soon as you read this, Jupiter 2, Not a AU, Pre and post season 1, Short Story, Spoilers, THIS TOTALLY COULD FIT, Technically the Reboot is a AU because of this, The Resolute, technically, theory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 07:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14327532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter





	1. Chapter 1

The large saucer came down toward the landing padd.

The scenery was different from what it had been, long, long ago.

There were men in uniform preparing to surround the perimeter landing gear came down onto the landing pad. The landing gear came down then to the ground. The long, silver platform came down to from the doorway. Smoke was drifting around the spaceship. Two older men side by side came down the ramp in colorful outfits with people coming from behind him. A young woman was holding the hand of a black monkey that had pointy, big ears as the family came to a long line, The muscular, broad shoulder man held his hands up then motioned for the rest to follow. One by one they held their hands up. The officers lowered their guns seeing the unarmed civilians. The leader of the group  lowered his hands.

"I am a professor," the Professor said.  "what year is it?"

"2000," came the reply. "please remain silent until General Goddard arrives."

There were murmurs from the group that sounded concerned and worried then lowered their hands down to their side. One of the younger men seemed to be heart broken almost on the verge of tears. He was a thirteen year old boy with a face full of freckles and full of life that seemed to be becoming not as bright. The leading woman woman of the group took the little boy's hand  and squeezed it. There were looks of loss being shared among the group. The shorter man lowered his head. It was as though their journey back home was for nothing. All the sacrifices that had been made were not worth it. The lighter man standing beside the professor shook his head. 

"Don. . ." came the woman beside him.

"This wasn't worth it,"  Don said. "Their sacrifice was meaningless."

"We're still alive, Don,"  the professor said. "It wasn't meaningless."

"No one knows who we are," Don said. "No one knows of this ship. They attacked us."

"It wasn't meaningless to them," The professor said. "Not to them."

A general approached the group  with his hands linked behind his back

"I am General Goddard," Goddard said. "What planet are you from, Professor?"

"A planet similar to yours," the Professor said. "I am John Smith, and this is my family." he gestured toward the long group of young children alongside his wife.  "And this is our ship," he pointed over his shoulder. "the Robinson 8." he placed his hands on his waist. "We got lost in space and now we're here. We have been trying to find our way to the planet we wanted but we've ran out of fuel."

"So you're aliens," Goddard said.

"We come in peace," John said.

"We're scientists, explorers, family first,"  Don said. "soldiers last. I am Major East and this is my girlfriend, Judith Smith."

"Maureen Smith," Mrs Smith said.

"Penny Smith," Penny then looked down toward the monkey. "And this is Debbie Smith."

"Bloop," Debbie the bloop said.

"Zachary Smith," the little boy said, earning head turns from the group. "Everyone calls me Will."


	2. Chapter 2

The Smith's were relegated to a apartment in the sprawling city. Debbie was being studied under Penny's supervision. John was making up lies as he went a bit clumsily. The Robinson 8 was towed away from the sight to somewhere else after it had been cleaned of all the photographs and family belongings that now littered the sprawling apartment. William was sitting on the couch with his hands on his lap. Scenes from what had happened hours ago echoed in his mind  in a very clear way. The elder Smith calling for William to go on as there were sounds of explosions from behind him. The announcement "DANGER, WILL ROBINSON,  DANGER!" as it fired after the threats while escorting the boy back. Mrs Smith slowly seated down alongside William then cleared her throat drawing his attention.

"He stayed behind with the Robot to make sure we got out of there. He distracted those machines while the Robot did his best," William said. He looked down toward his hands in a sad like manner. "I could have made him come in with me. He's always wanted to come back to Earth with us alive if it could happen and now, it just doesn't feel the same. It doesn't feel satisfying."

"There was nothing you could have done," Mrs Smith said. "It is what he would have wanted."

"We could have made it out together," William said, in a small voice.

"He had to make sure we got out of that base," Mrs Smith said. "The  Robot couldn't have done it without him."

"I miss them," William said.

"Me too, Will," Mrs Smith said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "If you want to go through with it, changing your name, legally." Will looked up toward his mother. "You are always going to be Will to me."

William looked up toward Mrs Smith with a smile.

"I am going to do good under his name," William said.

"Like what kind of good?" Mrs Smith asked.

"Helping people," William said. "That's it."

"If that is what you want," Mrs Smith said, with a smile. "Don't forget who you are."

"I won't," William said, then hugged her and she returned the hug. "I won't."


	3. Chapter 3

The Robot straightened itself up. He could detect  there was a faint lifeform lingering on and several mechanical machines were slowly putting themselves together. His family had made it off the planet. The Robot wheeled himself quickly in the direction of the faint lifeform. There were groans coming from the body that was severely burned. He was dark and bleeding laid on his side. His trembling hands were holding on to the remote device. The Robot's head bobbed up.

"Doctor Smith," The Robot said.

There were groans.

"Doctor Smith," The Robot repeated.

The figure turned on to its side.

"Booby. . ." Doctor Smith said.

Faint blue eyes opened and the phrase "Oh, the pain . . the pain" was screamed repeatedly.

"Doctor Smith," The  Robot leaned forward then placed a claw on his shoulder as the screams died down. "They made it."

The Robot's scanners detected a smile on the man's face.

"You are the most . ." Doctor Smith struggled to speak. "fine. . . articulate man I made."

"You are my buddy. You are my creator. You are the one who put the Robotoid's parts into me. . . You have programmed me to be a man better than you," The Robot said, steaming with heat radiating off his hull. "I survived, I will live on, I did not want this. . .  and I am scared."

A trembling dark, red hand reached out.

"Hold my hand. . ." Doctor Smith managed to say. "you . . . cowardly  .  . pussy. . . bubble. . headed. . . booby."

The Robot's burned dark claw reached out and the hand grabbed onto his claw.

"Th---thank you," The Robot said.

"No. . ." Doctor Smith said. "thank . . . you . . .  my . . . bosom . . ." the old man painfully added. " _friend_."

The weak hand gave a final squeeze on the Robot's claw then let go and fell to the ground.  The Robot made the sounds of weeping with his claws on his glass head bent over. His shoulders were trembling as it shook from side to side. The Robot turned around to face the strange machines coming toward him and straightened up. He looked toward the limp body of the burned human then back on toward the robots. He was going to be taken apart, analyzed, and then his technology was going to be used by the Robots to improve themselves. He didn't look the same as it had three years ago after undergoing rapid changes in the last year in its design using different parts of robots with arms that seemed more alien than anything.

"Men make machines, men make AI's, men make men," The Robot said. "Do robotic men join their loved ones? Processing. . ."

The Robot made the sounds of computing as it processed what was going to happen and what should happen on his part. He was in danger and there was no one to announce it to. The Robot deleted all the information on its tapes as it accordion arms went into its shell. The machines went over the Robot toppling it over beside the corpse assimilating him. One by one, the machines began to look different. They changed their design to have four arms and two legs, a glass head fixtures center, and a very familiar bubble themed chest plating. The only thing left of the Robot was the outline of its body.


	4. Chapter 4

Years passed and William climbed up the ranks quickly and watched his family become larger. His parents died at rich ages ten years ago side by side in their sleep. Don and Judy made it to Alpha Centauri their own way without being  known by mission control taking along Penny and her aged Debbie. William stayed behind because he wanted to do it legal. The Christmas star was something that sent humanity to the stars in twenty-three trips. This was the twenty-forth. He was the doctor of the Resolute. Designed by the great Maureen Robinson, something his mother wouldn't have been capable of---she was a scientist not a engineer.

He expected to come across the Robinsons in his time as psychologist, doctor, and surgeon but he didn't come across them face to face. He did have some encounters with them in directly which sometimes brought him to running late and speaking running late, this criminal was making him run late for a cosmic cards with his family. June Harris was a interesting individual to observe.  She reminded him of Smith more than the way she studied him.  But also the way in general the way she had sneaked aboard the Resolute. Lying her ass off, pretending to be someone she was not, and had likely taken care of her sibling. She tried to spin her version of the story in a way that best suit her. It was the kind of thing Smith would have done. A very Smitty thing to be exact. She had the familiar eyebrows, the short hair, and the well aged look about her.

He left her visibly bothered by the visible resemblance and character. He made his way toward the man in charge then explained his evaluation of her giving warnings. The man didn't reply at first until dismissed him with the reply that he would be in there soon. He wanted to make her sweat. She couldn't be Doctor Smith, she had a different name and different career---in fact, she had no career. She had walked in and killed a man to preserve being aboard the Resolute. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was talking to a dear old friend. A friend that he had missed every day. Doctor Smith would be flattered at what William had done in his name. He could see the look of pride on his face.  Even the reply of "Your parents would be even more proud if you did it under your name". The truth was, William Smith didn't sound right. It sounded wrong. William had made sure the Robinsons had gotten aboard the Resolute with a deal struck with Maureen through the computer under a anonymous name.  Psychologically, Will wasn't ready to be put into space. But he had to go. Everyone had to go up there and meet Don West one way or another.

And help others along the way with their enemy-at-first Smith. William was expecting sabotage at any moment on the ship.  And it was very concerning that no sabotage had happened to the Jupiter's. Let alone to the Jupiter 2. And a bad feeling was sinking in. Something terrible was going to happen. The Robinsons always got lost in space. It was a rule. A staple. A rule written in stone that they stuck together. There was no Robot stationed aboard the Resolute. They hadn't made the Robot, period, they were still a long ways of making a operational machine that wasn't a doll or a android that didn't act like a individual thinking Robot. William was used to the old robots, androids, and cyborgs that he came across in three years within space. It felt like he was in a slowly advancing society rather than his own. Like he was living among aliens. William carried on with his morning.

William stopped in his tracks that afternoon when he saw a large hole appeared in the hull. People who were around him stopped and stared at it. The door to the spaceship opened letting in a strange being. He looked up in horror at the machine with a red glowing visor that was bubbly surrounded metal. It towered over him in a way that was horrifying. William tilted his head looking at it. A look of recognition flashed on William's eyes. He didn't look friendly. He was intimidating, alien, and was a war machine at best than a harmless, friendly Robot. The grill was glowing a shade of red. A look of understanding dawned on William. So that's what happened to the Robot. They assimilated him after Doctor Smith's death. In that moment, all fear that he was feeling went away. He wasn't afraid of the Robot anymore.

"Robot?" William said. "Do you remember me?"

The Robot's four claws glowed a bright red.

"It's me," William said. "Will." He stepped forward then held his hand out.  "I am sorry what happened to Doctor Smith."

A flash of red struck William sending him falling against the metal wall smacking his left ear against it. The Robot picked him up like a rag doll  and its claws dug into his back which made him scream loudly then tossed him away. Officers ran in the direction of William as a young man helped up to his feet then helped him off. He looked over to see a young man be shot at the center of his back then collapsed in silence. William limped his way from the chaos calling for people to run for their lives. He was afraid, very afraid. It had been the first time in a long time that space had terrified him.

"Get down! Get down!" William shouted, as he came toward the corner of the hall and started to slide down. Harris came to his side. The line of fire from over his shoulder stopped distant screams.  "It's coming, it's killing everybody!"

"It?" Harris asked, terrified. 

The woman ducked up from William then looked over to see the source of the screams of colonists and officers. William knelt over feeling a sharp pain in his back. He smacked his hand on the floor, in anger. Families were being separated and people were dying. And he couldn't do a damn about it.

"Something breached the hull," William said.

The woman lifted his arm up then said something like  "Oh god," breathing heavily. "Let me help you." She started to slid the jacket off telling him that she was going to help him. A sense of gratitude came over him.

"Oh, thank you. Thank you." William said, looking over the edge.  

"Here, get your coat off," Harris said. "Can you walk?"

"No, I can't," William said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." That's when he realized something was wrong. It sounded like she wasn't going to help him.

"Hey, wait. What are you doing?" She slid his jacket on.

"I'm sorry," Harris said.

"What? What are you doing?"  He watched her leave. "You can't leave me here! COME BACK!"

She ran off  in the direction that everyone was going leaving him behind to die. His ear was ringing. He looked over to see the Robot heading his way. William closed his eyes expecting to be killed. His hands rolled up into fists. Was this how he was going to go? Being killed by his once best friend? The screaming had become distant. He opened his eyes then looked up to see the Robot above him. Sweat went down his skin at the Robot. He took the time to observe its new design. A mix of old and new. Dark gray metal glistening against the soft red alert. The orange knee caps and red lights coming from the fore arms. He was facing his certain doom. A briefly painful death by his childhood friend.

The Robot stared back at William.

"Creator," came a unfamiliar robotic voice.

"No!" William said. "Don't you remember? That was Doctor Smith! He programmed you!"

The Robot stepped back lowering its claws down.

"You don't remember," William said, on the verge of tears.

The Robot ran away leaving William behind to his tears.


	5. Chapter 5

Seventeen of eighteen surviving Jupiter's returned to the Resolute. The Jupiter 18, his Jupiter, was back on the planet below being destroyed. The Jupiter's has made it back home safe and sound. He was thankful that most of his photographic belongings were on the computer. And his Saint Christopher necklace was somewhere down there on the planet. They had a six hundred year trek to Alpha Centauri. He had a good idea of what they could to do bring them to Alpha Centauri but very late. Cryostasis was a very reliable way of keeping everyone preserved. But someone would have to take care of the ship. William decided to keep back his information as it was for the best. The captain had decided that they were going to find the nearest planet and attempt to colonize. He was in a bionic exoskeleton that had been installed into his body by the remaining surgeons who survived the attack and repaired him to the best of their ability.

His first patient was  Angela, the wife of  a musician.

It was a shame that he had to perform a autopsy on him.

"Angela," William said. "Right?"

Angela nodded,

"I am Doctor Smith," William said. "Zachary Smith."

She looked at him, oddly.

"You're not Doctor Smith," Angela said.

"Pardon?"  William said.

"Doctor  Smith is with the Robinsons," Angela said. "She tried to help me with my trauma. . . But I feel she exploited it."

"That isn't what a doctor does," William said. "As a psychologist,  I can help you with that. She manipulated you."

Angela's eyes looked down then widened as she turned her gaze up.

"She did," Angela said.

"That was a imposter," William said.  "Her name is June Harris. She is a criminal. With the way she acted, she might as well be him."

Angela grew a look of guilt on her face and hurt. Leaving behind hurt and pain was the kind of person Doctor Smith had been in the beginning of being lost in space with him. William placed a comforting hand on Angela's shoulder. He had a good feeling that Smith must have seen most of the survivors and tried to be a therapist to her ability after doing research regarding being a therapist. Only after being approached by several survivors for therapy and couldn't say no for a answer.

William wasn't surprised to hear it was his counterpart for finding the source of the excess alien poop and his siblings.

"Are you okay?" William asked.

"No," Angela said. "I'm not." She sobbed,  placing a hand on her forehead and lowered down.

In his mind, he had a fond smile at a memory. He had his fair share of being manipulated by Doctor Smith in the beginning but that stopped after awhile, so he believed. The Robinsons were lost in space. Smith was with them. They were always there as a inconvenience and a convenience. In one universe Doctor Smith sabotaged the Robot but took too long, in another universe he was being transported by a family similar to them with the Robot that was purple and a storm sent them off course, in another universe Smith escaped but was repeatedly shocked by his employers preventing his escape and went with them anyway. In this universe, Smith tried to escape to Alpha Centauri on their ship by taking it over and instead was subdued. Don West was aboard just as he should be and always would be to help. Eventually, they would have a unique friendship. Vitriolic best buds at best. It could happen and then it might not. William placed a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder.

Cleaning up Smith never got old and never would.

**The  End.**


End file.
